Bag-fastener.



No. 843,934. PATENTED FEB. 12, 1907. E, s. BRIOKSON & W. A. HEILMAN BAGFASTENEB.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 5, 1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD S. ERICKSON AND WILLIAM A. HEILMAN, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCON SIN,ASSIGNORS TO ROMADKA BROTHERS COMPANY, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ACORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

BAG-FASTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 12, 1907.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, EDWARD S. ERICK- SON and WILLIAM A. HEILMAN,residing in Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State ofWisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Bag-Fasteners,of which the following is a description, reference being-had to theaccompanying drawings, which are apart of this specification.

Our invention, has relation to an improved fastening for satchels,valises, traveling-bags, and the like.

In the usual form of fastenings for satchels and similar receptacles inaddition to the central locking mechanism it is necessary in order toprevent the metallic frame members at the edges of the opening of thesatchel from springing apart when the satchel is closed to provide apivoted loop on each side of the central locking mechanism, the loopsadapted to be turned down so'as to embrace the frame members, andthereby hold them securely against springing apart. This constructionnecessitates each time the satchelis closed the turning down of thepivoted loops in order to properly secure the satchel in its closedposition, and likewise requires each time the satchel is opened theturning up of the pivoted loops.

It is, the object of our invention to provide an improved constructionwherein the pivotcd loops are-dispensed with and the mere act of closingthe satchel will cause the same to be secured not only at the centralpoint, but also 011 each side of the center by the automatic operationof auxiliary fastenings, the members thereof located on the inner sidesof the respective members of the metallic frame, and the releasing ofthe auxiliary fastenings being accomplished by operating the slide ofthe central locking mechanism, which simultaneously with the re leasing,of the central locking mechanism causes the auxiliary fastenings to bereleased.

With the above primary object in view the invention consists of thedevices and parts or their equivalents as hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view of the frame of asatchel equipped with our improvements, the said frame being inlongitudinal section, but the slide of the central locking mechanismbeing in full lines, the view looking at what may be termed the rearside of the frame. Big. 2 is an under view of the frame illustrated inFig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, the numerals 4 and 5 indicate the framemembers of the satchel, which are of right-angular contour incross-section and are provided with depending legs which are pivotedtogether at their lower ends, as in the ordinary form of construction,so that the frame members may be swung toward or away from each other.By reason of the right-angular shape of the frame members each isnecessarily formed with an inwardly-extending flange. Theinwardly-extending flange of the member 4, however, is wider than theflange of member 5, and when the two members are brought together thewide flange of member 4 will overlap the more narrow flange of member 5.On the top and at the center of the flange of member 4 is located theusual central looking mechanism, which is contained within a casing 6.In this casing is fitted the slide 7, which is capable of limitedlongitudinal movement in said casing and projects upwardly out of thecasing, so as to be in position to be operated by the hand. The slidecarries within the casing the usual catches 8, (oneofsaid catches beingshown in Fig. 1,) and these catches are adapted to be engaged by hooks(not shown) projecting inwardly from lugs upstanding from the framememher 5, (said lugs and hooks also not being shown.) The said hooks areada ted to enter slots cut through one side 0 the lockcasing in order toengage the catches. The slide is held in a normal osition by means of acoiled spring 9, and w en the frame members are brought together and thehooks re ferred to are forced through the slots of the lock-casing theslide is forced longitudinally in one direction by the action of thehooks against the catches,'and when the catches are fully inserted thesaid coiledsprin'g forces the slide back to normal position, so that thecatches and hooks are in full locked engagement. When it is desired torelease the hooks from the catches, so as to permit of the opening ofthe satchel, the slide is moved in one direction against the action ofthe coiled spring, when of course the hooks will be released, and theframe members can then be readily opened. The parts thus far describedare old and well known and form no part of our invention.

Our invention resides in the provision of interior auxiliary fastening,which will now be described. This fastening consists in part inproviding the slide 7 with a depending lug 10, which projects through anelongated slot 11 in the flange of the frame member 4, and this lugengages with a longitudinal bar 12, arranged against the under side ofsaid flange of the member 4 and is guided in slotted guides 13 13,projecting downwardly from the under side of the said flange. Theseguides preferably consist of lugs stamped out of the metal of theinwardly-extending flange of member 4 and turned downwardly. Theopposite ends of the longitudinal locking-bar 12 may be twisted so as tobrin the plane thereof at right angles to the p ane of the main portionof the bar in order to permit said ends of the bar to pass through theslotted guides 13. One end of bar 12 is ex tended somewhat beyond itsguide 13, and this extended end is provided with an elongated slot 14.The other portion of the auxiliary fastening-that is, the portion whichcooperates with the locking-bar 12consists of hooks 15 15, one of saidhooks when the frame members are brought together adapted to enter theslot 14 and the. projection of said hook to engage around the edge ofthe slot and the other hook adapted to engage over the oppositeend ofthe locking-bar. Of

course instead of the latter hook engaging over the end of bar 12 itcould pass through another slot similar to 14, and the same resultaccomplished. It is of course obvious that in satchels of considerablelength the locking-bar 12 could be extended and more than two of thehooks 15 provided on the frame member 5, adapted to releasably engagethe locking-bar.

1n the use of the invention if the frame members are opened and it isdesired to close the satchel said frame members are brought together,and when the hooks 15 reach the locking-bar 12 one of said hooks willact against the outer bordering end of slot 14 and the other hook willact against the end of bar 12. This will have the effect of moving saidbar in one direction against the action of the spring 9. \Vhen the framemembers are fully brought together, the spring 9 returns the locking-bar12 to its normal position, and consequently said bar is releasablyengaged with the hooks 15. When it is desired to open the satchel. allthat is necessary to be done is to move the slide 7 against the actionof the s ring 9,50 as to bring the end of slot 14 of 100 ing-bar 12 outof engagement with one of the hooks 15 and the end of said locking-bar12 out of engagement with the other hook 15. The frame members may thenbe readilv swung to an open position.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that we provide a simpleconstruction which accomplishes all that has heretofore beenaccomplished by the provision of the separate pivoted loops, and at thesame time the improved auxiliary fastening is operated without thenecessity of any additional manual manipulation, as is the case with theconstructions provided with the pivoted loops.

What we claim as our invention is 1. Ina bag-fastening,'the combinationof frame members L-shaped in cross-section pivoted together, the flangeof one member overlapping the flange of the other member, dependentguides formed from the flange of the overlapping member, a flat slidablebar the plane of the ends thereof being disposed at right angles to themiddle portion mounted on the under side 01 said flange and playingthroughsaid guides, said slidable bar provided with a slot near one endthereof, the underlapping flange provided with hook members, one of saidhook members adapted to engage the slidable bar through the slot and theother hook member to engage the end thereof, a central mechanism mountedon the outer side of the overlapping flange to lock the two memberscentrally, and a slide controlling said locking mechanism provided witha lug depending through a slot in the overla ping member, said lugsecured to the slidab e bar to release the hook members therefrom, bythe same movement which unlocks the central mechanism.

2. In a bag-fastening, the combination of frame members L-shaped incross-section pivoted together, the flange of one member partiallyoverlapping the flange of the other member, dependent guides cut andbent down from the overlapping flange, said dependent guidcs' providedwith vertical slots, a flat slidable bar playing in said slots, themiddle portion of said slidable bar being twisted and bent .so that itsflat face is at right angles to the ends thereof and in substantiallythe same plane as the upper edges of the ends, a slot vrovided near oneend of the slidable bar, tie other frame member provided with hooks, oneof said hooks adapted to engage the slidable bar through the slot andthe other hook to engage the end thereof, a central mechanism mounted onlock the two members central and a slide controlling said lockingmechanism provided with a lug depending through a slot in the overlaiping member, said lug secured to the slidabl e bar to release the hookstherefrom by the same movement which unlocks the central mechanism.

3. A slidable bar for bag-fasteners, comprising a flat slidable bar, themiddle portion the outer side of the overlapping flange to of which istwisted and bent so that its upper ing mechanism engaging the middleportion 10 flat face is at right angles to the ends thereof of the bar.

and in substantially the same plane as the In testimony whereof we aflixour signaupper edges of the ends of the bar, said bar tures in presenceof two witnesses.

provided with a slot near one end adapted EDWARD S. ERICKSON.

to receive and engage a hook, the other end WILLIAM A. HEILMAN. of thebar also ada ted to engage a hook, the Witnesses:

said bar being a apted to be actuated by ANNA F. SCHMIDTBAUER,

means of a lug depending from a central lock- ALMA- KLUG.

